iPhone 14 Pro Max was launched last week after its unveiling at the September 7 event. With the device in users’ hands, we are getting to know more about its functionality and more importantly, its durability.
YouTuber @PhoneBuff did a comparative drop test of the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max against the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra to know how well they will perform in accidental falls.
iPhone 14 Pro Max’s Ceramic Sheild front protection survived the face drop test, twice
For starters, here are the specifications of the front, back and frame on both smartphones:
| Specs | iPhone 14 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra |
| Display | 6.7-inch | 6.8-inch |
| Front | Ceramic Shield front | GG Victus+ |
| Back |
Textured matte dual-ion back glass |
GG Victus+ |
| Frame | Flat edge stainless steel | Curved armor aluminum |
| Weight | 240g | 228g |
For the test, YouTuber dropped both phones from nearly 1.5 meters or 5 feet four times. Here are the results of each drop.
Back drop
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: shattered the back and the rear camera lens.
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: a few scratches on the back and most of the damage on the edge.
Both phones were functional after the drop and even with the cracked lens, the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s camera continued to work properly.
Corner drop
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: slight scuffs on the corners.
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: more prominent scuffs on the corners.
Face drop test #1: On concrete
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: the most damage was sustained on the top of the screen. Spiderweb cracks appeared near the notch that houses FaceID components and a Selfie camera.
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: the front glass was severely shattered. Spiderweb cracks throughout the front.
FaceID worked fine on the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s shattered screen but the fingerprint scanner did not work on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Face drop test #2: On steel
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: front looked the same and worked fine even after the second drop. But the camera did cause a little flaring, very prominent in the Selfie camera and slightly noticeable in the rear camera.
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: the screen condition deteriorated further and it experience some dead pixels along with more cracks.
Conclusion:
iPhone 14 Pro Max’s Ceramic Shield front is more durable than the back glass. On each drop, the back got worse and lost chunks of glass. The surgical-grade stainless steel frame absorbed the impact of falls pretty impressively.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s front is not durable as its back glass and the most damage was suffered on the edges and front.
Although the YouTuber gave both smartphones the same drop test score, for me the iPhone 14 Pro Max was the winner because it continued to work fine in spite of the shattered back, cracked camera lens, and damaged screen.
